Scottish Executive

Carers

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will roll out the Grampian NHS Board model for carer support and support for self medication for those with chronic conditions.

Mr Tom McCabe: I understand that the carer support model in question is linked to a wider patient/public information strategy that Grampian NHS Board is now consulting on and that, amongst other things, the model focuses on identifying carers and signposting them to sources of advice and support. The Executive is currently working with NHS, local authority and carer representatives to draw up national guidance to health boards on the introduction of NHS Carer Information Strategies, as provided for in the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002. The strategies will focus on carer identification and the provision of appropriate information to carers. Our guidance will prescribe minimum standards but will also leave room for local flexibility in recognition that some boards, like Grampian, are already taking this important agenda forward.

  The latter part of the question presumably refers to the medicines management pilot study which is currently underway in Grampian. The study is aimed at helping paid care workers to assist in administering medicines safely and to record such administration. The numbers involved in the initial study were small and I understand that Grampian NHS Board plans to extend the scheme. The benefits of the pilot would need to be assessed and the Executive will continue to keep in touch with the initiative and its outcomes.

Dentistry

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, how many NHS dentists there are now in each (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested above is available in the answer given to question S2W-5720 on 6 February 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Dentistry

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists there are per head of population in each (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information on the number of non-NHS dentists is not available centrally.

  Numbers and rates of NHS dentists are shown in the tables included in the answer to questions S2W-5711 and S2W-5720 on 6 February 2004.

Dentistry

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dentists there are per head of population in each (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area.

Mr Tom McCabe: Table 1 shows the number and rate per 100,000 population of NHS dentists working in the General Dentist Service (GDS) and in the Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) by NHS board area.

  Table 2 presents the same GDS figures, but by local authority area. HCHS dentist figures are not available centrally at local authority area level.

  Table 1: The Number of NHS Dentists per 100,000 Population by NHS Board Area

  

 NHS board
 Number 
  of GDS dentists 1,2,3,5
 Number 
  of GDS dentists per 100,000 population 4
 Number 
  of HCHS dentists6,7
 Number 
  of HCHS dentists per 100,000 population 4


 Scotland
 1,968
 40.5

666

13.2


 Argyll and Clyde
 176
 42.0

34

8.1


 Ayrshire and Arran
 137
 37.3

31

8.4


 Borders
 37
 34.5

9

8.4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 40
 27.2

19

12.9


 Fife
 131
 37.4

37

10.6


 Forth Valley
 95
 34.0

21

7.5


 Grampian
 167
 31.9

49

9.4


 Greater Glasgow
 430
 49.6

162

18.7


 Highland
 78
 37.5

40

19.2


 Lanarkshire
 212
 38.3

46

8.3


 Lothian
 357
 45.8

111

14.2


 Orkney
 9
 46.9

4

20.8


 Shetland
 12
 54.7

6

27.3


 Tayside
 161
 41.6

92

23.7


 Western Isles
 7
 26.7

6

22.9


 Special Health 
  Boards
 -
 -

12
 -



  Notes:

  1. Excludes emergency service dentists.

  2. Includes salaried GDS dentists.

  3. A GDS dentist may have more than one contract with an NHS primary care trust/Island health board if he/she has more than one practice; or have a contract with more than one NHS primary care trust/Island health board if he/she practises in more than one NHS board area. As a result, the sum of the number of GDS dentists in each NHS board exceeds the number of GDS dentists practising in Scotland.

  4. At mid-year 2002; Source GRO population estimates.

  5. As At 31 December 2003; source MIDAS (Management Information & Dental Accounting System)

  6. At 30 September 2002; source Medical & Dental Census, ISD Scotland.

  7. Headcount.

  Table 2: The Number of General Dental Service (GDS) Dentists at 31st Dec 2003 per 100,000 Population by Local Authority Area

  

 Local authority 
  area
 Number 
  of GDS dentists 1,2,3,4,6
 Number 
  of GDS dentists per 100,000 population 5


 Scotland
 1,968
 40.5


 Aberdeen City
 88
 42.1


 Aberdeenshire
 55
 24.2


 Angus
 36
 33.3


 Argyll and Bute
 33
 36.3


 City of Edinburgh
 230
 51.3


 Clackmannanshire
 14
 29.2


 Comhairle nan 
  Eilean Siar
 7
 26.7


 Dumfries and Galloway
 40
 27.2


 Dundee City
 70
 48.6


 East Ayrshire
 38
 31.7


 East Dunbartonshire
 52
 48.5


 East Lothian
 41
 45.2


 East Renfrewshire
 44
 49.1


 Falkirk
 43
 29.5


 Fife
 130
 37.1


 Glasgow City
 291
 50.4


 Highland
 78
 37.5


 Inverclyde
 29
 34.7


 Midlothian
 24
 29.8


 Moray
 24
 27.7


 North Ayrshire
 49
 36.1


 North Lanarkshire
 121
 37.7


 Orkney Islands
 9
 46.9


 Perth and Kinross
 56
 41.4


 Renfrewshire
 88
 51.2


 Scottish Borders
 37
 34.5


 Shetland Islands
 12
 54.7


 South Ayrshire
 50
 44.8


 South Lanarkshire
 125
 41.4


 Stirling
 38
 44.1


 West Dunbartonshire
 35
 37.7


 West Lothian
 62
 38.8



  Notes:

  1. Excludes emergency service dentists.

  2. Includes salaried GDS dentists.

  3. A GDS dentist may have more than one contract with an NHS primary care trust/Island health board if he/she has more than one practice; or have a contract with more than one NHS primary care trust/Island health board if he/she practises in more than one NHS board area. As a result, the sum of the number of GDS dentists in each NHS board exceeds the number of GDS dentists practising in Scotland.

  4. A GDS dentist is deemed to be practising in a local authority area where the postcode of his/her practice is within the boundaries of that local authority area.

  5. At mid-year 2002; Source GRO population estimates.

  6. As At 31 December 2003; source MIDAS (Management Information & Dental Accounting System).

Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) will place increased emphasis on access to sports facilities for school pupils as part of the inspection process.

Peter Peacock: HMIE already take good account of access to sports facilities in the context of their evaluation of accommodation facilities. This occurs in every school inspection and in a sample of schools, inspectors also take a closer look at provision for physical education. HMIE have also been looking more closely at health promotion activities, including the use of sports facilities where appropriate, as part of their review of integrated community schools. There are no plans to alter this approach.

European Funding

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each region has received from the European Regional Development Fund, broken down by individual project.

Lewis Macdonald: In the current 2000-06 European Structural Funds Scottish programmes, European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) is available in the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme and in the east of Scotland, south of Scotland and western Scotland objective 2 programmes. Individual projects receiving ERDF grants under these programmes are detailed in European Regional Development Fund Awarded by Individual Project as at January 2004 , a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 30800).

Fisheries

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tagged fish originating from catchments other than the North and South Esk rivers have been taken in nets in the Montrose area.

Allan Wilson: The following tables provide details of the numbers of tagged salmon taken in net fisheries in the Montrose area in 2000-03 inclusive.

  Fixed engines

  

 
 
 River 
  in which salmon were tagged


 Year
 North Esk
 Tweed
 Tay
 Dee
 Don
 Spey


 2000
 14
 0
 2
 3
 0
 0


 2001
 20
 1
 0
 2
 0
 2


 2002
 28
 0
 0
 1
 0
 0


 2003
 58
 0
 0
 1
 1
 0



  Net and Coble – inside North Esk

  

 
 
 River 
  in which salmon were tagged


 Year
 North Esk
 Tweed
 Tay
 Dee
 Don
 Spey


 2000
 18
 0
 0
 7
 0
 0


 2001
 9
 0
 0
 3
 0
 0


 2002
 17
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1


 2003
 40
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0

Fisheries

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact has been on the salmon population of offshore netting in the North and South Esk rivers.

Allan Wilson: There is no offshore netting for salmon in Scotland in the commonly accepted meaning of that form of fishery. The evidence available from catch figures for the North and South Esks, the two local rivers, indicate that angling catches in the North Esk have increased steadily since the mid 1970s, and no trend is discernible in South Esk angling catches. Data from both catch returns and the logie fish counter (collected since 1981) in the North Esk indicate a significant increase in the number of spawning salmon ascending the North Esk during that period. There is no evidence to suggest that these fisheries have had a deleterious effect on salmon populations in other Scottish rivers.

Fisheries

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total catch taken in nets in the Montrose area in 2003 was (a) salmon and (b) other fish.

Allan Wilson: The annual exercise of collecting, collating and publishing salmon and sea trout catch data for the 2003 fishing season is not yet complete.

  The net and coble fishery in the Montrose area catches almost exclusively salmon and sea trout. The fixed engine fishery occasionally catches flounders, plaice, mullet, and lumpsuckers, but none are taken in commercial quantities.

  Over the time series of salmon and sea trout catches recorded between 1952 and 2002, the percentage of the net fishery catch in the Montrose area comprising salmon has varied between 55% and 83%, while the percentage comprising sea trout has varied between 17% and 45%.

Further Education Colleges

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-158 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 June 2003, how much has been received by each further education college for social inclusion in each of the years referred to (a) excluding any funding attributable to the location of the college being in a rural area and (b) expressed also as a percentage of each college’s budget.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is as follows:

  

 College
 
2000-01
 
2001-02
 
2002-03



 Total 
  specific social inclusion element
 % 
  specific social inclusion to core allocation
 Total 
  specific social inclusion element
 % 
  specific social inclusion to core allocation
 Total 
  specific social inclusion element
 % 
  specific social inclusion to core allocation


 Aberdeen College
 £115,257 
  
 0.75%
 £279,914 
  
 1.73%
 £313,326 
  
 1.87%


 Angus College
 £27,786 
  
 0.65%
 £49,375 
  
 1.05%
 £50,976 
  
 1.05%


 Anniesland College
 £256,365 
  
 4.95%
 £504,858 
  
 8.90%
 £530,400 
  
 9.10%


 Ayr College
 £82,338 
  
 1.46%
 £194,423 
  
 3.08%
 £228,091 
  
 3.52%


 Banff and Buchan 
  College of Further Education
 £819 
  
 0.02%
 £1,818 
  
 0.04%
 £2,341 
  
 0.05%


 The Barony College
 £8,871 
  
 0.70%
 £10,018 
  
 0.71%
 £11,167 
  
 0.78%


 Borders College
 £957 
  
 0.02%
 £3,737 
  
 0.09%
 £2,849 
  
 0.07%


 Cardonald College
 £256,339 
  
 3.38%
 £507,839 
  
 6.09%
 £549,134 
  
 6.29%


 Central College 
  of Commerce
 £134,295 
  
 2.92%
 £312,708 
  
 6.70%
 £383,692 
  
 7.82%


 Clackmannan College 
  of Further Education
 £39,253 
  
 1.54%
 £71,797 
  
 2.58%
 £71,157 
  
 2.51%


 Clydebank College
 £210,907 
  
 3.32%
 £352,497 
  
 5.51%
 £362,290 
  
 5.54%


 Coatbridge College
 £120,543 
  
 3.13%
 £249,642 
  
 6.01%
 £277,925 
  
 6.54%


 Cumbernauld College
 £25,657 
  
 0.81%
 £60,515 
  
 1.82%
 £85,598 
  
 2.53%


 Dumfries and Galloway 
  College
 £36,736 
  
 0.82%
 £78,953 
  
 1.69%
 £87,414 
  
 1.87%


 Dundee College
 £270,339 
  
 2.63%
 £522,863 
  
 4.45%
 £607,668 
  
 4.97%


 Edinburgh's Telford 
  College
 £198,813 
  
 1.52%
 £395,741 
  
 2.92%
 £436,261 
  
 3.13%


 Elmwood College
 £8,072 
  
 0.24%
 £16,130 
  
 0.44%
 £21,046 
  
 0.55%


 Falkirk College 
  of Further and Higher Education
 £92,192 
  
 1.05%
 £181,450 
  
 1.89%
 £207,886 
  
 2.05%


 Fife College of 
  Further and Higher Education
 £112,473 
  
 1.58%
 £244,891 
  
 3.10%
 £266,292 
  
 3.24%


 Glasgow College 
  of Building & Printing
 £139,200 
  
 2.11%
 £313,173 
  
 4.51%
 £356,887 
  
 4.89%


 Glasgow College 
  of Food Technology
 £91,455 
  
 2.97%
 £273,557 
  
 7.89%
 £258,752 
  
 7.23%


 Glasgow College 
  of Nautical Studies
 £119,644 
  
 3.04%
 £208,757 
  
 5.03%
 £250,934 
  
 5.78%


 Glenrothes College
 £32,944 
  
 0.64%
 £80,217 
  
 1.46%
 £94,603 
  
 1.66%


 Inverness College 
  
 £20,621 
  
 0.34%
 £40,335 
  
 0.82%
 £41,912 
  
 0.81%


 James Watt College 
  of Further and Higher Education
 £281,725 
  
 2.05%
 £771,276 
  
 4.58%
 £781,620 
  
 4.48%


 Jewel and Esk 
  Valley College
 £79,881 
  
 1.12%
 £151,101 
  
 1.97%
 £164,458 
  
 2.09%


 John Wheatley 
  College
 £272,332 
  
 7.07%
 £342,172 
  
 7.93%
 £406,437 
  
 8.97%


 Kilmarnock College
 £87,962 
  
 1.54%
 £227,707 
  
 3.85%
 £255,300 
  
 4.17%


 Langside College
 £179,501 
  
 2.71%
 £387,034 
  
 6.04%
 £433,678 
  
 7.28%


 Lauder College
 £50,681 
  
 0.90%
 £104,890 
  
 1.71%
 £144,578 
  
 2.30%


 Lews Castle College 
  
 £154 
  
 0.01%
 £333 
  
 0.02%
 £524 
  
 0.04%


 Moray College 
  
 £2,695 
  
 0.06%
 £4,308 
  
 0.13%
 £2,687 
  
 0.08%


 Motherwell College
 £211,157 
  
 2.56%
 £445,416 
  
 4.69%
 £528,230 
  
 5.40%


 North Glasgow 
  College
 £114,838 
  
 2.29%
 £311,894 
  
 5.53%
 £385,984 
  
 6.57%


 Oatridge Agricultural 
  College
 £7,947 
  
 0.45%
 £11,414 
  
 0.63%
 £17,139 
  
 0.90%


 Perth College 
  
 £23,560 
  
 0.43%
 £33,381 
  
 0.79%
 £33,597 
  
 0.79%


 Reid Kerr College
 £204,736 
  
 2.47%
 £473,557 
  
 5.06%
 £506,320 
  
 5.29%


 South Lanarkshire 
  College
 £52,604 
  
 1.38%
 £108,815 
  
 2.68%
 £112,477 
  
 2.67%


 Stevenson College 
  Edinburgh
 £174,005 
  
 1.57%
 £350,942 
  
 3.27%
 £309,010 
  
 3.12%


 Stow College
 £153,122 
  
 2.84%
 £248,674 
  
 4.50%
 £301,584 
  
 5.18%


 The North Highland 
  College 
 £2,006 
  
 0.07%
 £4,275 
  
 0.17%
 £9,148 
  
 0.35%


 West Lothian College
 £33,116 
  
 0.83%
 £73,292 
  
 1.39%
 £95,256 
  
 1.84%


 Orkney College 
  
 £0 
  
 0.00%
 £0 
  
 0.00%
 £0 
  
 0.00%


 Shetland College 
  of Further Education
 £0 
  
 0.00%
 £0 
  
 0.00%
 £0 
  
 0.00%



  Source: Scottish Further Education Funding Council.

  Notes:

  1. The social inclusion elements are shown as a percentage of the core formula funding allocation to colleges. This represents the majority of funding allocated to colleges by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC). It excludes other SFEFC funding outwith the core formula. This can include claims based grants (e.g. fee waiver); funding to support students' living costs which is not core teaching activity; one off funds paid to colleges for specific projects; and funds paid to other bodies to support the work of colleges. To include funds such as these in the comparison would be misleading as much of the funding cannot be split by college and/or is conceptually different to core funding.

  2. There has been some debate over the basis on which the social inclusion elements of college funding are calculated. The element which supports entry costs and retention are triggered in respect of students living in Scotland’s 20% most deprived postcodes, which are generally in urban areas. SFEFC is currently reviewing how the funding methodology takes account of remoteness.

Health

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many returns were reviewed by the Common Services Agency in respect of prescription of (a) naltrexone hydrochloride and (b) naloxone hydrochloride in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Naltrexone hydrochloride is used in the treatment of formerly opioid-dependent patients. Naloxone hydrochloride is used in overdosage with opioids.

  The table shows the number of items prescribed for naltrexone hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride for the years ending 31 March 1994 to 2003 inclusive. Data in the table refers to prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital based clinics.

  

 Year ended 31 March
 Naltrexone Hydrochloride
 Naloxone Hydrochloride


 1994
 0
 739


 1995
 3
 1,185


 1996
 68
 814


 1997
 234
 962


 1998
 438
 1,161


 1999
 924
 1,045


 2000
 1,070
 1,360


 2001
 1,556
 1,220


 2002
 2,217
 1,329


 2003
 2,847
 1,423

Mental Health

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and membership will be of the independent assessment and analysis group that will review the proposed selection of the site of the secure care centre for the west of Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: These are matters for the West of Scotland Forensic Steering Group which has devolved responsibility from the four relevant NHS boards.

Mental Health

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the independent assessment and analysis group’s report on the proposed selection of the site of the secure care centre for the west of Scotland will be published.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for the West of Scotland Forensic Steering Group which has devolved responsibility from the four relevant NHS boards.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with a depressive illness in the last five years, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Data for the Continuous Morbidity Recording (CMR) is obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices, on a basis which is broadly representative of the Scottish population in terms of age, sex, deprivation category and rural/urban mix. From this, national estimates of the number of patients seen by GPs in Scotland can be calculated.

  The number of patients with depression seen by GPs in the last five years in Scotland is estimated as follows:

  Estimated Number of Patients with Depression Seen by GPs in Scotland, Years Ending 31 December: 1998 - 2002

  

 Sex
 Age Group
 1998
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 Male
 Under 15
 397
 371
 430
 319
 347


 
 15 - 24
 6,113
 6,570
 7,459
 7,762
 9,226


 
 25 - 44
 26,292
 27,034
 28,007
 28,286
 30,725


 
 45 - 64
 21,799
 21,549
 21,791
 24,396
 25,213


 
 65 - 74
 5,108
 4,826
 4,638
 4,860
 5,146


 
 75 - 84
 2,509
 2,983
 2,642
 2,849
 3,324


 
 85 +
 682
 588
 707
 660
 698


 Total
 All ages
 63,4131
 64,7071
 66,8471
 70,4971
 75,9361


 Female
 Under 15
 676
 629
 611
 712
 741


 
 15 – 24
 18,271
 17,624
 19,167
 22,032
 23,178


 
 25 – 44
 75,107
 72,366
 75,822
 79,713
 84,669


 
 45 – 64
 48,839
 49,129
 49,512
 53,433
 55,458


 
 65 – 74
 12,038
 12,164
 12,176
 12,968
 12,917


 
 75 – 84
 7,761
 8,206
 7,803
 8,184
 8,301


 
 85 +
 2,478
 2,485
 2,249
 2,527
 2,360


 Total
 All ages
 165,5171
 163,6171
 169,0411
 180,7501
 188,6771



  Source: Information Statistics Division.

NHS Staff

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-1115 by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 January 2004, whether the proposal to reduce nursing staff was discussed at the meeting with Fife NHS Board

Malcolm Chisholm: This meeting was held to discuss medical workforce issues. But the Health Department meets regularly with NHS Fife to discuss a wide range of matters, including those affecting nursing services.

NHS Staff

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many neurologists with expertise in Parkinson's disease there are, broken down by NHS board area

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not centrally available. However, the table identifies the number of neurologists by NHS board.

  Table 1 – Neurology Consultants in Post (Headcount) by NHS Board (as at 30 September 2002)

  

 Health Board
 Headcount 
  (At 30 September 2002)


 Scotland1
 47


 Argyll and Clyde
 - 
  


 Ayrshire and Arran
 1


 Borders
 - 
  


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1


 Fife
 3


 Forth Valley
 4


 Grampian
 6


 Greater Glasgow
 21


 Highland
 - 
  


 Lanarkshire
 1


 Lothian
 13


 Orkney
 - 
  


 Shetland
 - 
  


 Tayside
 5


 Western Isles
 - 
  


 Common Services 
  Agency
 - 
  


 Golden Jubilee 
  National Hospital
 - 
  


 State Hospital
 - 
  


 Special Health 
  Boards
 - 
  



  Note:

  1. The totals may not equal the sum of their sub groups, as the effect of double counting has been eliminated. For example, if a consultant works in two specialties/health boards, they will be counted once in each specialty/health board, but just once in the overall total.

Road Safety

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will commission road safety inspections on the A90 at Stonehaven, Muchalls, Newtonhill, Portlethen and Marywell.

Nicol Stephen: A review of the accident patterns on the A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen was carried out in 2003. While no specific issues were identified at any of the junctions referred to there were recommendations to improve some signs, road markings and high friction surfacing at the Bridge of Muchalls and Charlestown Interchanges. These improvements are programmed for completion during 2004-05.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive carries out an annual review of the trunk road network to identify accident cluster sites or areas with high accident rates. The current review is being finalised and any sites that can be treated by low cost engineering methods will be prioritised and added to the 2004-05 remedial programme.

Road Safety

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate recent fatal road accidents in Aberdeenshire and publish the results.

Nicol Stephen: Each year the Scottish Executive analyses accidents across the trunk road network in order to identify and bring forward an annual programme of targeted road safety improvements. In addition, whenever a fatal accident occurs on the network the trunk road operating company carries out a site investigation with the local police in an effort to identify any additional measures which might be implemented. Site investigations often contain sensitive and confidential information, which we do not publish. Trunk road accidents in Aberdeenshire are included in this process.

  The investigation of fatal road accidents on local roads in Aberdeenshire is a matter for Aberdeenshire Council.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the architects for the Holyrood project did not comply with the instructions in the Scottish Parliament Building User Brief that the shape of the debating chamber should be of a "horseshoe or semi-circular arrangement" when they brought forward designs that based the shape on a leaf or ellipsis; on what date such drawing or drawings were first provided to the client, and what action was taken to secure compliance with the user brief.

Mr George Reid: The Scottish Parliament Building User Brief suggests that "a horseshoe or semi-circular arrangement would appear to be the most appropriate" This wording allows the architect some licence to explore variations to that layout. I understand from the convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that the intention of the steer in the brief was to produce a move away from the more confrontational arrangement at Westminster, and allow better access for wheelchairs. Drawings of the original Miralles layout which was within the spirit of the brief, and allowed 100% wheelchair access were first presented formally to the client as part of RIBA Stage C (Outline Proposals) in September 1998.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether unpriced copies of the two letters of intent entered into between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and Flour City (UK) Ltd will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mr George Reid: The SPCB has received advice from its construction law legal advisers that documents relating to the Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd contract should not be disclosed, as they may form part of the productions in any litigation which may follow.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any errors, as referred to in 8.5 of the pro forma trade contractors agreement in the Construction Management Agreement for the Holyrood project, have been detected in the drawings and designs provided by Flour City (UK) Ltd.

Mr George Reid: The convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that Flour City's drawings were checked and subsequently developed to a conclusion, between the design team and the various replacement trade contractors, including amendments to suit differing construction methodologies and the implications of blast tests. No significant errors were detected in Flour City's design.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether there is not, within the full trade contract entered into between the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) and Flour City (UK) Ltd, any legal duty of confidentiality owed to the trade contractors whether by the SPCB, the construction managers or anyone else and, if there this, what such duty is and where it is set out.

Mr George Reid: Within the full trade contract entered into by the SPCB and Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, there is no general obligation of confidentiality owed by the SPCB. The construction manager, in that capacity, does not contract with trade contractors, and consequently there should not be any contract to which an obligation of confidence would apply. The reference to "anyone else" is too imprecise to be meaningfully answered.